| caliber | Utopian | truisms | chasms |
| dysfunctional | atheist | agnostic | shroud |
Learners read the sentences from the chapter on Handout 1. They write their own definition for each word and then use a dictionary to check their definitions. Then, they write another sentence for each word.
Learners answer questions about the chapter. The questions are listed on Handout 2. Below are the questions and answers for the instructor.
What did Barry do? Administrator for the Native Village of Fort Yukon.
Did Barry want to be an administrator all his life? What did he really want to do? No. Be an artist.
What did Barry and Velma dream of? Having a good house and getting a good education in a place with no liquor store.
Who did Barry and Velma want to make Fort Yukon a better place for? People who didn't have a father to chart a path for them and for children of alcoholics.
Why did Barry say: “Velma, either poop or get off the pot!” Velma was always talking about things but never really doing anything.
What did Barry tell Velma to do with her story “Two Old Women.” Get it published.
What award did Velma win? The Western States Book Award.
Velma dreamed of a Utopian society. What did she expect at Venetie Reservation? Sober, self-sufficient, healthy Indians.